Do you have a SOP in place? If you’re not sure what a SOP is or why you need it, keep reading! A SOP is a Standard Operating Procedure and it describes what you do and how you do it. Most big businesses have these in place, but small businesses and households should have them too. I want to give you a few reasons why you should consider adding them to your life.
An SOP can organize your life
In business, a Standard Operating Procedure can help you organize your practices, eliminate questions when team members don’t know what to do and can ultimately improve operations. Think of a SOP as a guide that can ensure procedures in place are followed from the get-go.
In a household, a SOP can serve as an instruction manual for the family and those that came into the home. They can give a babysitter the information needed to care for the kids when you’re away. Or even keep the meal plan for the week so come dinner time, no one is asking “What’s for dinner?” Think of it like a house manager that keeps everything all in one place. You can find the one we use at EmilyLey.com.
An SOP can simplify onboarding
If you want your employees or independent contractors to start off on the right foot, you need to have a Standard Operating Procedure in place. Some businesses have an employee handbook, but a SOP takes it one step further. It may include the policies surrounding how they can use their sick and vacation time, the dress code and other standard rules one must follow. SOPs include job descriptions, how tasks are performed and contacts for when questions arise. When you have a SOP in place, onboarding and initial training becomes much easier.
An SOP can show gaps to be filled
The funny thing about documentation is that holes appear. When you document a process or a procedure, you essentially write down every step. Seeing these gaps clearly allows you to fill them in and solve problems you may not have known were even there. SOPs allow you to see these areas more clearly and make adjustments before they become even larger problems.
So how can we help?
The Mindful Virtual Assistant is a virtual assistant that does the admin work, so you don’t have to. Copywriting and crating policies and procedures is one of the specialties we have. If you’re in need of creating or editing your SOP, contact us today.